12/03/2010

Walt Whitman

Walt Whitman sat down in his home in Camden, N.J., in 1888 to speak with George Worman and Francis B. Lee, the two founders of The Signal, the student newspaper of the New Jersey State Normal and Model Schools (now The College of New Jersey). Worman and Lee asked Whitman to give advice for aspiring writers.

“Just this: Practice is the main thing at all times, and subservient to this but almost equal in importance, is the statement never be discouraged,” Whitman said. “Whack away at everything pertaining to literary life-mechanical part as well as the rest.”

The famed poet later offered some surprising guidance: “To young literateurs I want to give three bits of advice: First, don’t write poetry; second ditto; third ditto. You may be surprised to hear me say so, but there is no particular need of poetic expression. We are utilitarian, and the current cannot be stopped.”

The interview was uncovered in 2005 by TCNJ student Nicole Kukawski while she was searching The Signal’s archives. She described her discovery in an essay for TCNJ Magazine (PDF).